Posts Tagged ‘
purees for 9+ months ’

Last weekend Chris and I took Mason and my Mom to one of our fave neighborhood restaurants, Sage General Store. We live in Long Island City, which is in the New York borough of Queens, the most diverse community in the US. (Every announcement in our subway station is posted in Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, and English.) The neighborhood is 10 minutes from Manhattan by subway and it’s very much in transition, filled with abandoned warehouses and sketchy characters in some pockets, but it’s also home to cutting-edge art galleries, a melange of luxury apartment buildings, and great restaurants. And that’s where Sage comes in.

Sage is known for a few ultra-decadent dishes, most notably its three-course bacon brunch–bacon sampler, bacon brunch pizza, and chocolate-bacon brownie. We arrived early and were fortunate enough to get a table. The place is always packed. Mason sat in a vintage highchair and had his first taste of bacon marmalade. (He loved it!) We had planned on ordering him Sage’s ultra-decadent mac ‘n’ cheese but they were out of it so I served him my Cheesy Rice Casserole with Peas instead (yes, I called ahead because the place is so popular they frequently run out of stuff).

This casserole is one of Bug’s favorites, and it’s very simple to make–a mixture of brown rice, baby cheese sauce, and smashed peas. You can also add shredded chicken or small pieces of tofu to the mix for more protein. It’s rich and delicious but it’s also healthier than the typical casserole because of the brown rice and peas. Bug gobbles it up and I think your babe will like it too. Try it out–and ping us with your feedback!

I was a rotten mom today. I didn’t mean to be, I swear, it just happened. The day started off well — Bug and I played, he discovered a new breakfast favorite — then I got caught up in work and it all went tragically downhill.

After a three-day work trip, I arrived home last night to a gorgeous, beaming baby. (The hubby looked pretty great too.) We played together, ate dinner together, and did our usual bath-massage-singing together before bed. But the night was bumpy, Bug was up and down all night. Nothing was wrong, he wanted to cuddle. I’m not normally so indulgent with middle-of-the-night snuggles but after we’ve been apart, especially after we’ve been apart, I need the extra hugs and kisses as much as he does.

This morning we got up early, played some more, and Mason tried Cherry-Banana Oatmeal for the first time (recipe below). He adored it. I sipped my coffee, he giggled and ate. Eating breakfast with my boy, the perfect way to start the day. So much better than the hotel room service I had eaten for breakfast alone for the past three mornings. The nanny arrived, I smothered Bug with kisses and got a giant gummy smile in return.

Around 4, it was clear I had been wrong. A big project needed my immediate attention and there was no way I was going to get home when I normally do. I finally finished, scrambled to the subway, and arrived home just before bathtime. I walked through the door and Mason gave me a huge smile, then promptly burst into tears. How could I have let a deadline keep me at work late? I’m always home before his dinner. Always. And tonight I had been late. The poor baby probably thought I had gone away again.

So there you have it, my rotten, cheek-burning mommy moment. I suck! Mason deserves better and I’m going to be spending the rest of the weekend trying to make it up to him.

Cherry-Banana Oatmeal

Ingredients

Oatmeal (store-bought or homemade)
Fresh cherries
Bananas

Directions

1. Peel and slice a banana, set aside.
2. Wash and pit 6 cherries, slice in half. Cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
3. Blend cooked cherries and banana with a bit of water, breast milk, or formula. Set aside.
4. Prepare oatmeal and swirl in blended banana and cherries.
5. Freeze extra blended banana and cherries for up to three months.

Mason wouldn’t touch the jarred stuff on our trip last weekend, but he was totally up for some bold new flavors. He loved the kalamata olives at Cava on Capitol Hill, we mashed ‘em with a fork and he gobbled them up. He adored the sweet potato fries at Argonaut on H St. I scooped out the fluffy, soft potato on the inside and fed little chunks to my delighted (and hungry!) boy. But the culinary discovery that excited me most? The Tomato-Curry Lentils that my good friend Jeanne made for her daughter, Audrey, and was kind enough to share with Mason.

Jeanne is one of the best cooks I know, but I had my doubts about those lentils. For starters, Mason had never eaten anything spicy, nor had he sampled tomatoes or lentils. (Yes, I broke our pediatrician’s rule of only introducing one new food at a time–I was desperate to get the babe to eat!) I believed the babe could take the heat of the spices–his daddy loves spicy stuff–and Chris loves tomatoes so I just assumed Mason would too. However, the babe has a problem with texture–if it isn’t smooth he’s probably going to throw it up. But in this case he didn’t! He took his first bite then opened up his mouth for more and then more…

I was thrilled! And I’d love to share the recipe with you on behalf of my brilliant friend Jeanne. Try it out and let us know what your babe thinks.

1. Rinse lentils and cook according to package directions, rinse.
2. Add in tomatoes, water, onion, curry, and salt until warm.
3. Simmer until lentils are soft.
4. Cool and then serve. Freeze extras for up to three months.

*Garam marsala is delish and available at specialty markets — but this recipe is still yummy without it, so don’t sweat it if you can’t find it:)

Today was so delish. It started with two hours of playtime with my boy before work, great coffee, and a great meeting. At lunch, I dug into a juicy turkey burger and crisp fries with one of my fave coworkers. We ate outside, it was so gorgeous today! (Normally I nibble on a salad at my desk, distracted by an endless stream of meetings and deadlines.) Then there was my superfun dinner with Mason and a glass of wine (and girl talk) with a good friend. So delish.

Dinner was the best part. Mason loved his meal of Broccoli and Beef with Cheese Sauce. My inspiration for this dish started with Mason’s new love, broccoli. I wanted him to experience the healthy veggie with one of my old loves, cheese. I got the cheese sauce recipe from Annabel Karmel’s Top 100 Baby Purees, although I used the basic variation from her book, which only calls for cheddar. I added beef to the mix because it’s an iron-rich source of protein, and it added some heartiness to the meal.

It was all so easy to put together. I already had broccoli and beef purees, along with the cheese sauce, in my freezer. I thawed the stuff then mixed two ounces each of the broccoli and cheese sauce with one ounce of beef. Try it out — and let us know what your babe thinks.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour to make a smooth paste, and cook for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the milk, bring to a boil, and cook for a few minutes over low heat until thickened and smooth. Stir in the grated cheese until melted.

*I substitute formula instead of milk for the extra nutrients. I also double the recipe to make 16 ounces of sauce so I have extras to freeze.

Our love affair with yogurt continues. Yogurt is still the one thing that Mason will eat with a gigantic grin no matter what — and he’s a brilliant eater. I’ve made many fruit yogurts for Mason — peach, pear, banana, apple, mango, papaya, apricot (get the recipes) — but YoBaby gave me the idea to blend yogurt with green beans and pears. Before I mixed green beans with yogurt, Mason refused to eat them. Now he loves them. Since that combo was such a winner, I decided to try a new yogurt-fruit-veggie combo tonight: Sweet Potato-Apple Puree with Yogurt.

Baby Yogurt

I didn’t plan to invent a new yogurt tonight. In fact, I hadn’t thought about dinner at all before we got home late from a friends house and Mason was absolutely starving. (Isn’t how that always works?!) After rooting around my freezer, which is filled with rows and rows of homemade baby food (pic below), I settled on frozen sweet potato puree and frozen apple puree. I pondered adding beef to it, but Mason already had beef for lunch. I opened the fridge and noticed some yogurt. Hmmm, Mason hadn’t had yogurt today. What if I just stirred the three together?

My frozen stash of homemade baby food

I started with about four ounces of rich and creamy, full-fat Stonyfield organic yogurt, then stirred in two ounces of Sweet Potato-Apple Puree (one of Mason’s faves). I felt excited about this duo — the sweet potatoes were packed with beta carotene, while the apples were rich in vitamin C (and lots of other good stuff). The yogurt was filled with healthy Probiotics, which are super good for Mason’s little tummy. The meal was pure and simple, uncomplicated, and an absolute hit.

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About The Author

While her culinary adventures have taken her around the world, Heather Morgan Shott thinks cooking in her own shoebox-size kitchen is tops. On High Chair Times, she chronicles the good, the bad, and the downright maddening experiences of feeding Mr. Picky—her toddler son Mason who’s developed a major ‘tude about what he will and will not eat. Read Full Bio